The Sharkey Institute

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Did Zion’s Sneaker Explosion Hurt the Nike Brand? Nearly One in Five Say ‘Yes’

Majority feels student athletes should be compensated by sneaker companies for wearing their brands; less support for them receiving pay for playing revenue producing sports

South Orange NJ, March 1, 2019 — It was the sneaker explosion heard round the world, when Duke’s Zion Williamson’s Nike went poof last week in a game against North Carolina. Did all the publicity hurt the Nike brand?

According to a Seton Hall Sports Poll conducted this week, nearly 1-in-5 respondents said it was the indicator of the quality of the brand. More than two thirds, 67%, felt it was a one-time fluke.

“That’s a good percentage favoring the one-time mishap,” noted Rick Gentile, director of the Poll, which is sponsored by the Sharkey Institute within the Stillman School of Business. “But 18% (those who felt it represented the brand’s quality), is not a small number. Nike has some rebuilding work ahead – of its image, not just its sneakers.”

These were the findings of a Seton Hall Sports Poll conducted this week, with questions asked of 794 adult Americans on landlines and cellphones, with a margin of error of +/- 3.5%.

Compensation for Student Athletes

Meanwhile, a majority of Americans believe that student athletes should be compensated by sneaker companies for the use of their brands in collegiate athletics if they are required to wear the brand, and that students in revenue producing sports – like football and basketball – should receive compensation on top of scholarships and cost of attendance stipends.

On the question of financial compensation for student athletes from sneaker companies – like Nike and Adidas – , the public says “yes” by a margin of 57-36%.

On the question of compensation for participation in revenue generating sports, the margin was closer, with 49% saying “yes” and 46% saying “no.” And while white respondents are in favor of “sneaker compensation” by a 54-41% margin, African-Americans are in favor by 3-1.

While the public is pretty evenly split on student/athlete compensation for play, 49-46%, whites are more negative at 40-54%, while African-Americans are strongly in favor by a margin of 5-to-1.

The 49% overall in favor of compensating student athletes for playing is a significant jump from the result when the question was asked four years ago. In the November 2015 Seton Hall Sports Poll only 36% said “yes – compensate,” while 57% opposed the idea — compared to this week’s finding of 49% in favor, 46% opposed.

Should Zion Play?
With Zion Williamson considered by many a likely number one draft pick by the NBA, the question of his continued participation in Duke’s schedule arose, considering the millions of dollars at risk should he reinjure himself. By a 47-27% showing, the public felt he should continue playing.

An even wider margin – 59-30% – said that college football draft hopefuls should play in bowl games at the end of their seasons, even with the draft looming. The question noted that a number of them did in fact, choose not to play.

Results breakdown below; this release may be found online at http://blogs.shu.edu/sportspoll/2019/03/01/did-zions-sneaker-explosion-hurt-the-nike-brand-nearly-one-in-five-say-yes/

The Seton Hall Sports Poll has been conducted regularly since 2006.Recently chosen for inclusion in iPoll by Cornell’s Roper Center for Public Opinion Research, its findings have been published everywhere from USA Today, ESPN, The New York Times, Washington Post, AP, and Reuters to Fox News and most points in between.

This poll was conducted by telephone February 25-27 among adults in the United States. The Seton Hall Sports Poll is conducted by the Sharkey Institute within the Stillman School of Business. Phone numbers were dialed from samples of both standard landline and cell phones. The error for subgroups may be higher. This poll release conforms to the Standards of Disclosure of the National Council on Public Polls.

One of the country’s leading Catholic universities, Seton Hall has been showing the world what great minds can do since 1856. Home to nearly 10,000 undergraduate and graduate students and offering more than 90 rigorous academic programs, Seton Hall’s academic excellence has been singled out for distinction by The Princeton Review, U.S. News & World Report and Bloomberg Businessweek.

Seton Hall embraces students of all religions and prepares them to be exemplary servant leaders and global citizens. In recent years, the University has achieved extraordinary success. Since 2009, it has seen record-breaking undergraduate enrollment growth and an impressive 110-point increase in the average SAT scores of incoming freshmen. In the past decade, Seton Hall students and alumni have received more than 30 Fulbright Scholarships as well as other prestigious academic honors, including Boren Awards, Pickering Fellowships, Udall Scholarships and a Rhodes Scholarship. The University is also proud to be the third most diverse national Catholic university in the nation.

During the past five years, the University has invested more than $165 million in new campus buildings and renovations. And in 2015, Seton Hall launched a School of Medicine as well as a College of Communication and the Arts. The University’s beautiful main campus in suburban South Orange, N.J. is only 14 miles from New York City — offering students a wealth of employment, internship, cultural and entertainment opportunities. Seton Hall’s nationally recognized School of Law is located prominently in downtown Newark. The University’s Interprofessional Health Sciences (IHS) campus in Clifton and Nutley, N.J. opened in the summer of 2018. The IHS campus houses the University’s College of Nursing, School of Health and Medical Sciences and the Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine at Seton Hall University.

Last Wednesday, Duke basketball standout Zion Williamson injured his knee when his Nike sneaker burst apart 30 seconds into a game. Do you think this incident is an indicator of the quality of the Nike brand or do you think it was just a one-time fluke?

1 – Indicator of quality of brand 18

2 – One time fluke 67

3 – Don’t know/No opinion 15

Do you think student/athletes should receive some financial compensation from the sneaker company — like Nike or Adidas — if they are required to wear the company’s shoes due to an arrangement between the sneaker company and the university?

1 – Yes 57

2 – No 36

3 – Don’t know/No opinion 6

Do you think student/athletes should be financially compensated, in addition to a scholarship and cost of attendance stipend, for participating in revenue producing sports, such as men’s basketball and football?

1 – Yes 49

2 – No 46

3 – Don’t know/No opinion 5

Do you think Zion Williamson, the probable number one choice in this year’s NBA draft, should decline to play for Duke for the remainder of the season in order to insure that further injury doesn’t hurt his NBA draft status or should he continue playing for the remainder of the season?

1 – Decline to play 27

2 – Continue playing 47

3 – Don’t know/No opinion 26

During the past college football season, several NFL draft hopefuls decided to not participate in their team’s bowl games for fear that injury could negatively affect their draft status. Do you think this was a smart move on the part of the players or should they have played and shown loyalty to their schools and teammates

1 – Smart move 30

2 – Should have played 59

3 – Don’t know/No opinion 11

How closely would you say you follow sports, very closely, closely, not closely or not at all?

But by 3-to-1, public thinks his chance of a new contract in the NFL has decreased

South Orange NJ, February 28, 2019 — The confidential settlement of Colin Kaepernick’s lawsuit against the NFL finds the nation evenly divided on its impact on his protests.

In a Seton Hall Sports Poll conducted this week, by a margin of 44-42%, the public says the settlement has not diminished the impact of his protest.

By 45-40%, the public believes the settlement is an admission by the NFL that collusion by NFL teams against him took place.

When the question of approval for Kaepernick was asked in September 2017, his support was only 32%, with disapproval at 44%.

While white respondents are evenly divided on whether the settlement diminished the impact of the protests, by 2 to 1 African-Americans believe that it does. Whites are also evenly divided on whether it the settlement is an admission of collusion by the NFL, but African-Americans believe it is by 3 to 1.

794 adult Americans were polled on both landlines and cellphones, a margin of +/- 3.5%.

Despite a fairly close overall division on whether or not the settlement was an admission on the part of the NFL, by more than a 3-1 margin (41-13%), respondents believed that Kaepernick’s chance of being signed to a new NFL contract has decreased because of the settlement.

“People remain divided regarding the message of his kneeling during the national anthem,” noted Rick Gentile, director of the poll, which is sponsored by the Sharkey Institute in the Stillman School of Business. “But there certainly seems to be a feeling that doors are not going to open for the renewal of his career.”

Disapproval of U. of Mississippi Basketball Protesters

In a related matter, by a 42-29% margin, people disapproved of the University of Mississippi basketball players kneeling last weekend to protest an on campus rally honoring Confederate soldiers. That margin draws a close comparison to the September 2017 Kaepernick findings. However, 12 out of 13 African-Americans offered support of the protest.

The Seton Hall Sports Poll has been conducted regularly since 2006.Recently chosen for inclusion in iPoll by Cornell’s Roper Center for Public Opinion Research,its findings have been published everywhere from USA Today, ESPN, The New York Times, Washington Post, AP, and Reuters to Fox News and most points in between.

This poll was conducted by telephone February 25-27 among adults in the United States. The Seton Hall Sports Poll is conducted by the Sharkey Institute within the Stillman School of Business. Phone numbers were dialed from samples of both standard landline and cell phones. The error for subgroups may be higher. This poll release conforms to the Standards of Disclosure of the National Council on Public Polls.

One of the country’s leading Catholic universities, Seton Hall has been showing the world what great minds can do since 1856. Home to nearly 10,000 undergraduate and graduate students and offering more than 90 rigorous academic programs, Seton Hall’s academic excellence has been singled out for distinction by The Princeton Review, U.S. News & World Report and Bloomberg Businessweek.

Seton Hall embraces students of all religions and prepares them to be exemplary servant leaders and global citizens. In recent years, the University has achieved extraordinary success. Since 2009, it has seen record-breaking undergraduate enrollment growth and an impressive 110-point increase in the average SAT scores of incoming freshmen. In the past decade, Seton Hall students and alumni have received more than 30 Fulbright Scholarships as well as other prestigious academic honors, including Boren Awards, Pickering Fellowships, Udall Scholarships and a Rhodes Scholarship. The University is also proud to be the third most diverse national Catholic university in the nation.

During the past five years, the University has invested more than $165 million in new campus buildings and renovations. And in 2015, Seton Hall launched a School of Medicine as well as a College of Communication and the Arts. The University’s beautiful main campus in suburban South Orange, N.J. is only 14 miles from New York City — offering students a wealth of employment, internship, cultural and entertainment opportunities. Seton Hall’s nationally recognized School of Law is located prominently in downtown Newark. The University’s Interprofessional Health Sciences (IHS) campus in Clifton and Nutley, N.J. opened in the summer of 2018. The IHS campus houses the University’s College of Nursing, School of Health and Medical Sciences and the Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine at Seton Hall University.

1. Eight men’s basketball players on the University of Mississippi team knelt during the national anthem last Saturday in response to a pro-Confederate rally taking place on campus. Do you approve, disapprove or have no opinion of the players’ action?

1 – Approve 29%

2 – Disapprove 42

3 – Don’t know/No opinion 29

2. Colin Kaepernick recently won a settlement of a lawsuit from the NFL accusing the league of collusion by teams not signing him because of his protests during the national anthem. Do you think his acceptance of a settlement diminishes the impact of his protest?

1 – Yes 42

2 – No 44

3 – Don’t know/No opinion 15

3. Do you think the NFL’s offer of a settlement is an admission that collusion against Kaepernick took place?

1 – Yes 45

2 – No 40

3 – Don’t know 15

4. Do you think the settled lawsuit has increased, decreased or has had no effect on Kaepernick’s chances of being signed to an NFL contract and continuing his career?

1 – Increased 13

2 – Decreased 41

3 – Had no effect 46

5. How closely would you say you follow sports, very closely, closely, not closely or not at all?

In Wake of NFL Post-Season Controversies Public Wants Rule Changes
for Pass Interference and OTNation also ‘tired’ of seeing Patriots in Super Bowl; thinks legalized gambling can lead to scandal

South Orange NJ, February 2, 2019 – By an overwhelming margin, the public wants instant replay for judgment calls such as pass interference, according to a Seton Hall Sports Poll conducted this week.

Asked if replay review should be allowed for judgment calls like pass interference, 82% said yes, with only 10% saying no and the rest having no opinion or saying they did not know.
Among those who said they followed the sport closely, even more, 89%, said yes, while only 7% said no.

Even among the respondents who said they follow the NFL very closely, 85% said yes, they “think instant replay review should be allowed for judgment calls like pass interference.” Among that group of very close followers, however, 13% said “no.”

Regarding overtime possession rules, a majority of respondents polled said that each team should get at least one possession in overtime: 58% said that both teams should have the ball, with only 33% saying the rule (a touchdown on first possession ends the game), should be left alone.

The poll received 985 adult responses across the country, using both landlines and cellphones, with a margin of error of +/- 3.2%.

“In the NFL’s championship games, referee calls and non-calls made a very big difference,” noted Rick Gentile, director of the poll, which is sponsored by the Sharkey Institute of the Stillman School of Business at Seton Hall. “And in some ways, Kansas City’s offense never getting a chance to take the field in overtime was anticlimactic – never a good thing in the entertainment business, and something the NFL may want to pay attention to along with the overwhelming support for instant replay review for judgment calls such as pass interference.”

Nation ‘Tired’ of Patriots

Perhaps the overtime rules wouldn’t have seemed so unfair if the Kansas City Chiefs hadn’t been playing the New England Patriots, who have made their way to the Super Bowl four out of the past five years.

Nearly half of Americans say they are tired of seeing the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl.

46% said they were tired of seeing them, with only 25% saying their appearance would make the game more interesting.

Among those who follow the NFL closely or very closely, the number rose to 62% who are tired of seeing them against only 27% who thought their appearance would make the game more interesting.

Tom Brady
The numbers are not very good for New England quarterback Tom Brady either, whose favorable rating has fallen to only 29% after a high of 61% in February 2015, when the Poll first asked about him. That was before the penalty for “Deflategate” was instituted, and his favorable rating fell to 34% by that October.

Brady’s favorable rating was only 24% among women and 35% among men. While the overall rating is 29% favorable to 23% unfavorable, among those that follow the NFL closely it is even.

Bill Belichick

Patriots’ coach Bill Belichick had only a 20% favorable rating in this poll, about even with his standing in October of 2015 in the wake of “Deflategate.”

“Despite his brilliance on the field, it appears the effects of ‘Deflategate’ and the suggestion that Brady was a cheater may linger for the remainder of his career,” noted Director Gentile, “As for ‘Patriots Fatigue’ it will be interesting to see how it effects the ratings.”

Legal Sports Betting

Meanwhile, as legalized sports betting begins a growth period on a state-by-state basis, Americans had a strong feeling that it will inevitably lead to scandal. Asked if they believe legal betting can lead to cheating or fixing of games by players, 81% said yes, and 79% said it can lead to cheating or fixing of games by referees or umpires.

What is music to a network ear however, is that 71% say they would be more likely to watch a broadcast of a game on which they bet. Even better news is by more than 5 to 1, people 18-29 are more inclined to watch a game they bet on. This is similar with Seton Hall Sports Poll’s finding when the question was first asked last fall.

This poll was conducted by telephone January 28-30 among adults in the United States. The Seton Hall Sports Poll is conducted by the Sharkey Institute. Phone numbers were dialed from samples of both standard landline and cell phones. The error for subgroups may be higher. This poll release conforms to the Standards of Disclosure of the National Council on Public Polls. The Seton Hall Sports Poll has been conducted regularly since 2006.

Last year the Supreme Court ruled that betting on sporting events could be declared legal by individual states. Do you approve of this ruling, disapprove or do you have no opinion?

1 – Approve 38%

2 – Disapprove 16

3 – Don’t know/No opinion 46

Former member of congress and ex-NBA player Tom McMillen said last week that as a result of legalized sports betting “There is a 100% chance that there will be a major gambling scandal at an institution of higher education in the United States.” Do you agree or disagree

with his statement?

1 – Agree 51

2 – Disagree 33

3 – Don’t know/No opinion 16

Do you believe legal betting on sports events can lead to cheating or fixing games by players?

1 – Yes 81

2 – No 15

3 – Don’t know/No opinion 4

Do you believe legal betting on sports events can lead to cheating or fixing games by referees or umpires?

1 – Yes 79

2 – No 18

3 – Don’t know/No opinion 3

Do you participate in any pools or wagering on the Super Bowl?

1 – Yes 11

2 – No 88

3 – Don’t know 0

(If No skip to Question 7)

Would you watch the game if you weren’t betting on it or participating in a pool?

1 – Yes 79

2 – No 20

3 – Don’t know 2

Have you ever participated in any pools or wagered on the Super Bowl?

1 – Yes 31

3 – No 68

4 – Don’t know 1

Would you be more likely to bet on a sports event if it was legal in your state?

1 – Yes 29

2 – No 68

3 – Don’t know 3

If you placed a bet on a sports event would it make you more likely to watch the broadcast of that event?

1 – Yes 71

2 – No 27

3 – Don’t know 2

Is your opinion of Patriots’ quarterback Tom Brady favorable, unfavorable or do you have no opinion?

1 – Favorable 29

2 – Unfavorable 23

3 – No opinion 48

How about Patriots’ coach Bill Belichick, is your opinion favorable, unfavorable or do you have no opinion?

1 – Favorable 20

2 – Unfavorable 21

3 – No opinion 59

This will be the 4th time in the last 5 years that the New England Patriots will appear in the Super Bowl. Does that make them more interesting to see play again or are you tired of seeing

them in the Super Bowl?

1 – More interesting 25

2 – Tired of seeing them 46

3 – Don’t know/No opinion 29

How closely would you say you follow the NFL, very closely, closely, not closely or not at all?

1 – Very closely 13

2 – Closely 27

3 – Not closely 30

4 – Not at all 30

5 – Don’t know 0

There was controversy regarding the NFC and AFC Championship Games last week because of calls, or non-calls by the referees. Do you think replay review should be allowed for judgment calls like pass interference?

1 – Yes 82

2 – No 10

3 – Don’t know/No opinion 9

In the NFL if the team that wins the coin toss for the overtime period elects to receive the ball and then scores a touchdown on the first drive, the game is over. This just happened in the AFC Championship game between the Patriots and Chiefs. Do you think both teams should have a chance to possess the ball at least once in the overtime period or should the rule remain as is?

1 – Both teams should possess the ball 58

2 – Leave rule as is 33

3 – Don’t know/No opinion 9

ABOUT SETON HALL UNIVERSITY

One of the country’s leading Catholic universities, Seton Hall has been showing the world what great minds can do since 1856. Home to nearly 10,000 undergraduate and graduate students and offering more than 90 rigorous academic programs, Seton Hall’s academic excellence has been singled out for distinction by The Princeton Review, U.S. News & World Report and Bloomberg Businessweek.

Seton Hall embraces students of all religions and prepares them to be exemplary servant leaders and global citizens. In recent years, the University has achieved extraordinary success. Since 2009, it has seen record-breaking undergraduate enrollment growth and an impressive 110-point increase in the average SAT scores of incoming freshmen. In the past decade, Seton Hall students and alumni have received more than 30 Fulbright Scholarships as well as other prestigious academic honors, including Boren Awards, Pickering Fellowships, Udall Scholarships and a Rhodes Scholarship. The University is also proud to be the third most diverse national Catholic university in the nation.

During the past five years, the University has invested more than $165 million in new campus buildings and renovations. And in 2015, Seton Hall launched a School of Medicine as well as a College of Communication and the Arts. The University’s beautiful main campus in suburban South Orange, N.J. is only 14 miles from New York City — offering students a wealth of employment, internship, cultural and entertainment opportunities. Seton Hall’s nationally recognized School of Law is located prominently in downtown Newark. The University’s Interprofessional Health Sciences (IHS) campus in Clifton and Nutley, N.J. opened in the summer of 2018. The IHS campus houses the University’s College of Nursing, School of Health and Medical Sciences and the Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine at Seton Hall University.

As leagues move towards embrace of gambling, 70% say they’re more likely to watch a game if they wager, but 61% say it will lead to cheating or fixed games.

South Orange, NJ, November 30, 2018 — If you bet that wagering on a game leads to greater viewership – you’d be right. A survey by the Seton Hall Sports Poll has found that 70% of Americans say they would be more likely to watch a game they bet on.

In a week in which Major League Baseball announced a marketing partnership with MGM Resorts, the era of “No Betting Permitted” signs at ballparks is over, and the fans seem to love it.

But it is a double edge sword – 61% say they believe that legal betting on sports events leads to cheating or the fixing of games.

But oh that 70% of heightened interested in watching games is music to a sports league’s ears. Within that, the poll found that 88% of those age 18-29, the coveted demographic loved by sponsors and hardest to reach – would be more likely to watch if they placed a bet.

“Watching is the first step towards creating a paying fan,” noted Rick Gentile, director of the poll, which is sponsored by the Sharkey Institute of the Stillman School of Business. “In the 1980s, the leagues became aware that fantasy sports were heightening interest, and eventually, they embraced it. Now they appear to be ‘all in’ with something once impossible to imagine.”

The poll was conducted this week across to country to 741 adults on landlines and cellphones, and has a +/- 3.7% margin of error.

Asked if they were more likely to bet on a game if they could do it with their cellphones, 64% of those 18-29 said they would do it. 40% of the overall sample said they would be more likely.

Younger people, in fact, have less resistance to gambling. On the question of whether legalized sports gambling is creating a compulsive gambling problem, only 5% of those 18-29 strongly agreed, while the number grew to some five times that among older respondents. (21% of those 30-44, 28% 45-59 and 30% over 60).

40% said they approved of the Supreme Court’s ruling that betting on professional sports could be declared legal by individual states, with only 16% disapproving. The gender breakdown was dramatic here, with 52% of men favoring the court’s decision, but only 28% of women.

The gender gap repeated in a question of whether betting should be limited to pro sports or extended to college sports. 42% said pro and college, 35% said just pro – but 51% of men said pro and college, with only 33% of women agreeing.

Of the 33% who say they have bet sports, 51% believe gambling leads to cheating or fixing of games vs. 61% of the overall public.

Of the 33% who say they have bet on sports, 31% agree that legalized sports gambling is creating a compulsive gambling problem in this country (43% overall agreed); 49% said they would be more likely to wager if it was legal in their state (vs. 31% overall), 77% said they would be more likely to watch games they bet on (vs. 70% overall), and 56% said they would be more likely to gamble on sports if they could bet using a cellphone (vs. 40% overall).

This poll was conducted by telephone November 26-28 among adults in the United States. The Seton Hall Sports Poll is conducted by the Sharkey Institute at the University’s Stillman School of Business. Phone numbers were dialed from samples of both standard landline and cell phones. The error for subgroups may be higher. This poll release conforms to the Standards of Disclosure of the National Council on Public Polls. The Seton Hall Sports Poll has been conducted regularly since 2006.

One of the country’s leading Catholic universities, Seton Hall has been showing the world what great minds can do since 1856. Home to nearly 10,000 undergraduate and graduate students and offering more than 90 rigorous academic programs, Seton Hall’s academic excellence has been singled out for distinction by The Princeton Review, U.S. News & World Report and Bloomberg Businessweek.

Seton Hall embraces students of all religions and prepares them to be exemplary servant leaders and global citizens. In recent years, the University has achieved extraordinary success. Since 2009, it has seen record-breaking undergraduate enrollment growth and an impressive 110-point increase in the average SAT scores of incoming freshmen. In the past decade, Seton Hall students and alumni have received more than 30 Fulbright Scholarships as well as other prestigious academic honors, including Boren Awards, Pickering Fellowships, Udall Scholarships and a Rhodes Scholarship. The University is also proud to be the third most diverse national Catholic university in the nation.

During the past five years, the University has invested more than $165 million in new campus buildings and renovations. And in 2015, Seton Hall launched a School of Medicine as well as a College of Communication and the Arts. The University’s beautiful main campus in suburban South Orange, N.J. is only 14 miles from New York City — offering students a wealth of employment, internship, cultural and entertainment opportunities. Seton Hall’s nationally recognized School of Law is located prominently in downtown Newark. The University’s Interprofessional Health Sciences (IHS) campus in Clifton and Nutley, N.J. opened in the summer of 2018. The IHS campus houses the University’s College of Nursing, School of Health and Medical Sciences and the Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine at Seton Hall University.

South Orange, NJ, November 1, 2018 — The just concluded World Series was the 45th since the designated hitter rule was adopted in 1973 – but the American public is still not happy with the way it is employed.

Only 11% of people surveyed in this week’s Seton Hall Sports Poll opted to keep it as it is — employed only when games are played in American League parks. 47% were divided almost equally on whether they prefer the DH in all games (25%) or in no games (22%). 41% saidthey did not know or had no opinion.

The poll was conduced October 29-31 among 839 adults across the country on landline and cellphone, with a margin of error of +/- 3.4%.

The poll also asked the 65% who said they did not watch the World Series why they did not watch, and while 46% said they had no interest in baseball, only 11% cited no interest in the Boston Red Sox or Los Angeles Dodgers in particular. (The margin of error for this group was +/- 4.3%).

“That response is a good one for MLB, noted Rick Gentile, director of the poll, which is sponsored by The Sharkey Institute. “It says that the teams involved don’t really caused diminished interest.”

During the World Series, a player on the Dodgers was accused of sign stealing by the Red Sox. Only 31% of fans said the sign stealer should be punished, while 42% called it “no big deal.”

On the other hand, when it comes to recruiting violations in collegiate sports, 76%said that the school should be punished and 15% said it was “no big deal.”

“Sign stealing on the pro level is considered business as usual,” said Gentile. “It gets a shrug. But when it regards the future of our high school athletes moving into college, cheating is a big deal. And that’s a good thing.”

ABOUT SETON HALL UNIVERSITY

One of the country’s leading Catholic universities, Seton Hall has been showing the world what great minds can do since 1856. Home to nearly 10,000 undergraduate and graduate students and offering more than 90 rigorous academic programs, Seton Hall’s academic excellence has been singled out for distinction by The Princeton Review, U.S. News & World Report and Bloomberg Businessweek.

Seton Hall embraces students of all religions and prepares them to be exemplary servant leaders and global citizens. In recent years, the University has achieved extraordinary success. Since 2009, it has seen record-breaking undergraduate enrollment growth and an impressive 110-point increase in the average SAT scores of incoming freshmen. In the past decade, Seton Hall students and alumni have received more than 30 Fulbright Scholarships as well as other prestigious academic honors, including Boren Awards, Pickering Fellowships, Udall Scholarships and a Rhodes Scholarship. The University is also proud to be the third most diverse national Catholic university in the nation.

During the past five years, the University has invested more than $165 million in new campus buildings and renovations. And in 2015, Seton Hall launched a School of Medicine as well as a College of Communication and the Arts. The University’s beautiful main campus in suburban South Orange, N.J. is only 14 miles from New York City — offering students a wealth of employment, internship, cultural and entertainment opportunities. Seton Hall’s nationally recognized School of Law is located prominently in downtown Newark. The University’s Interprofessional Health Sciences (IHS) campus in Clifton and Nutley, N.J. opened in the summer of 2018. The IHS campus houses the University’s College of Nursing, School of Health and Medical Sciences and the Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine at Seton Hall University.

This poll was conducted by telephone October 29-31 among adults in the United States. The Seton Hall Sports Poll is conducted by the Sharkey Institute. Phone numbers were dialed from samples of both standard landline and cell phones. The error for subgroups may be higher. This poll release conforms to the Standards of Disclosure of the National Council on Public Polls. The Seton Hall Sports Poll has been conducted regularly since 2006.

The Red Sox accused a Dodger player of cheating by stealing the catcher’s signs to the pitcher. Do you think this is a violation that should be punished or it’s no big deal because it happens all the time?

South Orange, NJ, November 1, 2018 — Even in a year filled with stories of women running for elected office more than ever before, Americans prefer women athletes as role models over women politicians by substantial margins, according to a poll conducted this week by the Seton Hall Sports Poll.

Asked who would make a preferable role model, the poll found that by more than a 2-1 margin, (54-24%) people said a professional or collegiate woman athlete over a female politician, and to the question, “if you had a daughter, would you prefer a career in politics or athletics,” 45% said athletics to 29% politics. The responses were generally consistent among men and women, with men saying “athlete” by 44-31% and women saying athlete by 45-27%.

Still, the importance of women seeking elected office was not overlooked. Asked if they would be more likely to watch a women’s athletic event or vote for a woman for Congress – 32% said vote for a woman, 7% said watch an athletic event, and 49% said equally likely.

The poll was conducted October 29-31 among 839 adults across the country, on landline and cellphone, with a margin of error of +/- 3.4%.

“Despite the media coverage of the number of women running, untarnished by years in office, the very idea of politicians as role models or politics as a career is not viewed favorably compared to athletics,” noted Rick Gentile, director of the poll, which is sponsored by the Sharkey Institute. “And given a choice of ‘neither’, only 14% opted for that, a surprisingly low number, given that the two fields are relatively new career paths.”

The poll also asked which women’s sports people were likely to watch, with tennis (33%), basketball (26%) and soccer (16%) leading the way.

Asked if they thought women have an equal opportunity to receive a college scholarship for athletics as men, respondents say yes by a slim 46-43% margin, but asked if women SHOULD have an equal opportunity, an overwhelming 95% said yes.

One of the country’s leading Catholic universities, Seton Hall has been showing the world what great minds can do since 1856. Home to nearly 10,000 undergraduate and graduate students and offering more than 90 rigorous academic programs, Seton Hall’s academic excellence has been singled out for distinction by The Princeton Review, U.S. News & World Report and Bloomberg Businessweek.

Seton Hall embraces students of all religions and prepares them to be exemplary servant leaders and global citizens. In recent years, the University has achieved extraordinary success. Since 2009, it has seen record-breaking undergraduate enrollment growth and an impressive 110-point increase in the average SAT scores of incoming freshmen. In the past decade, Seton Hall students and alumni have received more than 30 Fulbright Scholarships as well as other prestigious academic honors, including Boren Awards, Pickering Fellowships, Udall Scholarships and a Rhodes Scholarship. The University is also proud to be the third most diverse national Catholic university in the nation.

During the past five years, the University has invested more than $165 million in new campus buildings and renovations. And in 2015, Seton Hall launched a School of Medicine as well as a College of Communication and the Arts. The University’s beautiful main campus in suburban South Orange, N.J. is only 14 miles from New York City — offering students a wealth of employment, internship, cultural and entertainment opportunities. Seton Hall’s nationally recognized School of Law is located prominently in downtown Newark. The University’s Interprofessional Health Sciences (IHS) campus in Clifton and Nutley, N.J. opened in the summer of 2018. The IHS campus houses the University’s College of Nursing, School of Health and Medical Sciences and the Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine at Seton Hall University.

This poll was conducted by telephone October 29-31 among adults in the United States. The Seton Hall Sports Poll is conducted by the Sharkey Institute. Phone numbers were dialed from samples of both standard landline and cell phones. The error for subgroups may be higher. This poll release conforms to the Standards of Disclosure of the National Council on Public Polls. The Seton Hall Sports Poll has been conducted regularly since 2006.

South Orange, NJ, May 16, 2018 — Concern over the integrity of sports results has gone hand in hand with the question of legalized gambling over the years, and Monday’s Supreme Court ruling, which ended the federal ban on sports wagering, has intensified the discussion even further.

The most recent Seton Hall Sports Poll (conducted April 23-25 among 736 adults in the U.S. with a +/- 3.7% margin of error), found that 48% feel legalized sports betting would negatively impact the integrity of sporting events.

This was consistent with a poll taken by the SHSP in 2014, when 49% answered affirmatively to the same question. When the question was posed in 2012, 53% said the sports integrity would be negatively impacted.

“People tend to be in favor of gambling on games, but a large number – nearly half the population, believes the outcome of games could be subject to questioning,” noted Rick Gentile, director of the poll, which is sponsored by the Stillman School of Business and its Sharkey Institute. “ Whether the games are fixed or not isn’t the question so much as whether public confidence is eroded. That’s a big problem for sports leagues.”

One of the country’s leading Catholic universities, Seton Hall University has been a catalyst for leadership — developing students in mind, heart and spirit — since 1856. Home to nearly 10,000 undergraduate and graduate students and offering more than 90 academic programs, Seton Hall’s academic excellence has been singled out for distinction by The Princeton Review, U.S.News & World Report and Bloomberg Businessweek.

Seton Hall, which embraces students of all religions, prepares its graduates to be exemplary servant leaders and global citizens. Its attractive main campus is located in suburban South Orange, New Jersey, and is only 14 miles by train, bus or car from New York City, offering a wealth of employment, internship, cultural and entertainment opportunities. The university’s nationally recognized School of Law is prominently located in downtown Newark.

For more information, visit www.shu.edu.

About the poll:

This poll was conducted by telephone April 23-25 among 736 adults in the United States. The Seton Hall Sports Poll is conducted by the Sharkey Institute, with cell phone interviewing provided by Braun Research.

Phone numbers were dialed from samples of both standard landline and cell phones. The error due to sampling for results based on the entire sample could be plus or minus 3.7 percentage points. The error for subgroups may be higher. This poll release conforms to the Standards of Disclosure of the National Council on Public Polls.

Would you be in favor of betting on just professional events or should betting on collegiate events be legal as well?

Just professional 36

Both professional and collegiate 49

Don’t know/No opinion 15

Do you think legalized sports betting would negatively impact the integrity of sporting events?

Yes 48

No 42

Don’t know/No opinion 10

The US Supreme Court is about to rule on whether states should be allowed to legalize betting on sports events or whether it should be up to the federal government to decide. Do you think sports betting should be under state control or federal control?

South Orange, NJ, May 1, 2018 — By a 2-1 margin, and In the first measurement of “speed-up” rule changes initiated this year by Major League Baseball, 46% of Americans believe that these changes, especially limiting visits to the mound, will make the game feel like it’s going faster. Only 24% said it would not feel faster, (31% had no opinion).

The Seton Hall Sports Poll, conducted last week after three weeks of this season had concluded, presented a positive endorsement for MLB of its changes.

The Poll was conducted by landline and cell phone at 736 adults across the country, and has a margin of error of +/- 3.7%.

The poll showed 53% saying games took too long, with 40% disagreeing. When the same question was asked by the Seton Hall Sports Poll in 2011, only 44% said the games took too long, with 51% disagreeing.

“The balance has shifted,” noted Rick Gentile, director of the poll, which is sponsored by the Stillman School of Business and its Sharkey Institute. “More fans now believe the games are too long, but MLB should be pleased to see that about half the people at least ‘feel’ they are faster paced.”

The “feel” of the games having a faster pace was important to officials at MLB during the winter, when the changes were approved.

By 3 to 1, a rule that was implemented only on the minor league level was soundly booed by respondents. The minors are experimenting with allowing a runner to be stationed at second base to start an extra inning, but only 20% said they favored that at the Major League level, and 60% disdained it.

Baseball still has at least a perception problem when it comes to performance enhancing drugs, with 39% saying they believe the problem still exists, with 31% disagreeing.

Asked if big market clubs have an advantage in acquiring the best free agent players, 80% said yes, compared to 84% when the poll asked the same question seven years ago.

The poll asked whether there are not enough African-American players in the Major Leagues, a question that was also asked in 2011. Attitudes have shifted over seven years:

There are not enough African-American Players in the Major Leagues

Agree

Disagree

No Opinion

2018

32

39

29

2011

18

62

14

Among white respondents this year, 27% felt there were not enough; while 43% disagreed. Among African-American respondents, 61% agreed while only 19% disagreed.

By a 4-1 Margin, Ages 18-29 Say They Are Less Interested in Baseball

Asked whether they were more interested, less interested, or “about the same” regarding interest in baseball, by a 4-1 margin, those ages 18-29 said they were less interested in the game. 23% of that age group said they were less interested, and only 5% said they were more interested.

As an aggregate, 13% of total respondents said they were more interested, 21% said less and 60% said their interest was about the same as in the past. Broken down by gender, 15% of women said they were more interested, and 15% said less. But 11% of men were more interested vs. 27% less interested.

In 2011, the aggregate poll found 17% more interested, 18% less interested, 58% about the same.

More interested, less interested or interest in baseball about the same:

More interested Less Interested About the Same

2018 13 21 60

2011 17 18 58

“The numbers are not shifting in a positive way for baseball,” said Gentile.

One of the country’s leading Catholic universities, Seton Hall University has been a catalyst for leadership — developing students in mind, heart and spirit — since 1856. Home to nearly 10,000 undergraduate and graduate students and offering more than 90 academic programs, Seton Hall’s academic excellence has been singled out for distinction by The Princeton Review, U.S.News & World Report and Bloomberg Businessweek.

Seton Hall, which embraces students of all religions, prepares its graduates to be exemplary servant leaders and global citizens. Its attractive main campus is located in suburban South Orange, New Jersey, and is only 14 miles by train, bus or car from New York City, offering a wealth of employment, internship, cultural and entertainment opportunities. The university’s nationally recognized School of Law is prominently located in downtown Newark.

For more information, visit www.shu.edu.

About the poll:

This poll was conducted by telephone April 23-25 among 736 adults in the United States. The Seton Hall Sports Poll is conducted by the Sharkey Institute, with cell phone interviewing provided by Braun Research.

Phone numbers were dialed from samples of both standard landline and cell phones. The error due to sampling for results based on the entire sample could be plus or minus 3.7 percentage points. The error for subgroups may be higher. This poll release conforms to the Standards of Disclosure of the National Council on Public Polls.

Professor Charles Grantham, director of the Center for Sport Management, was featured in The Undefeated and on Wharton Business Radio on Sirius XM.

Grantham, who is the former Executive Director of the National Basketball Players Association, published an essay in The Undefeated entitled, “Unions had better start doing their jobs to protect NFL players’ rights.”

In the essay, Grantham writes:

Colin Kaepernick’s act of protest in the backdrop of a presidential election, and now administration, where race is front and center has created a firestorm with regard to racial attitudes and relations in America.

The protest, using sports as the platform, has opened a conversation that is long overdue in America, and each day more people are brought into the debate offering support or disagreeing with the protest. Whatever your opinion, the‎re is still an “uncomfortable silence” from the segment of the sports community that can actually effect the very change Kaepernick, NFL players and other athletes are seeking….

Any solution to this protest will require the commissioners‎ and union leaders in both sports to demonstrate the courage currently displayed by the athletes and the bold thinking required to change status quo. While management and labor are most often adversaries, they are financial partners in a defined revenue sharing/salary cap business model because of the collective bargaining agreement. Thus, the biggest challenge to leadership on both sides of the aisle is to determine when and how outside forces affect revenue and franchise values.

On the Sirius XM Wharton School of Business radio show, “Knowledge@Wharton,” host Dan Loney led a roundtable discussion on the anthem protests as well as the rights and relative business interests of both players and owners. Along with Professor Grantham, the show featured Wharton Professor Emeritus and CEO of Global Sports Institute, Ken Shropshire; and Andrew Brandt, director of the Center for Sports Law at Villanova and NFL business analyst for ESPN.

Americans Throw Penalty Flags at Both Goodell and Trump for their Positions on the NFL Stand/Kneel Issue; 82% Say ‘Advise Parents on Risk of Youth Football’

South Orange, NJ, October 27, 2017 — By a 47% to 42% margin, Americans believe that NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell should have ordered the league’s players to stand during the national anthem.

By a wider margin – 55% v. 37% – people said it was inappropriate for President Trump to request that people sign a petition saying that the players stand.

These were among the findings of the latest Seton Hall Sports Poll, conducted this week across the nation among 715 adults, on landlines and cellphones. The poll has a margin of error of 3.7%.

“The president’s base, which polls consistently show to be in the 35% area, seems to support him at every turn without wavering, and that extends to his war of words with the NFL,” said Rick Gentle, director of the poll, which is sponsored by The Sharkey Institute as part of the university’s Stillman School of Business. “The 37% support on this question is consistent with that.”

“But clearly,” added Gentile, “Goodell’s position lacks strong public support. “This is a tough issue for people who love football, love the flag, and still respect freedom of expression.”

MATTERS OF HEALTH AND SAFETY IN YOUTH FOOTBALL ADDRESSED

The Poll also asked a number of questions related to the safety of youth football. Asked if football organizing groups should have medical personnel advise parents about the dangers of playing organized football before their child signs up to play, a huge 82% said yes, with only 11% saying no.

Asked if they thought youth football leagues through high school are taking adequate steps to improve the safety of the game, 49% said yes, and only 22% said no.

Respondents were also asked at what age he or she would allow a child to play football, 39% said ages 7-11, 27% said ages 12-15, and only 9% said age 16 and over. 20% responded “never.”

“It is significant that one in five – 20% – say ‘never’ for the sport considered the most popular one in America,” noted Gentile.

One of the country’s leading Catholic universities, Seton Hall University has been a catalyst for leadership — developing students in mind, heart and spirit — since 1856. Home to nearly 10,000 undergraduate and graduate students and offering more than 90 academic programs, Seton Hall’s academic excellence has been singled out for distinction by The Princeton Review, U.S.News & World Report and Bloomberg Businessweek.

Seton Hall, which embraces students of all religions, prepares its graduates to be exemplary servant leaders and global citizens. Its attractive main campus is located in suburban South Orange, New Jersey, and is only 14 miles by train, bus or car from New York City, offering a wealth of employment, internship, cultural and entertainment opportunities. The university’s nationally recognized School of Law is prominently located in downtown Newark.

For more information, visit www.shu.edu.

About the poll:

This poll was conducted by telephone October 23-25 among 715 adults in the United States. The Seton Hall Sports Poll is conducted by the Sharkey Institute.

Phone numbers were dialed from samples of both standard landline and cell phones. The error due to sampling for results based on the entire sample could be plus or minus 3.8 percentage points. The error for subgroups may be higher. This poll release conforms to the Standards of Disclosure of the National Council on Public Polls.

After a meeting with players and owners last week, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell announced he will not order the players to stand for the pre-game playing of the national anthem. Do you agree with his position or disagree?

Agree 42%

Disagree 47

Don’t know/No opinion 11

President Trump has asked people to sign a petition saying that they support standing for the national anthem in response to the NFL not insisting its players do so. Do you think it’s appropriate for the president to make such a request?

Yes 37

No 55

Don’t know 8

If you were to allow your child to play football, at what age would you allow him to play, 7-11, 12-15, 16 or older or never?

7-11 39

12-15 27

16+ 9

Never 20

Don’t know/No opinion 6

Do you think youth football leagues through high school are taking adequate steps to improve the safety of the game?

Yes 49

No 22

Don’t know/No opinion 29

Do you think football organizing groups should have medical personnel advise parents about the dangers of playing organized football before their child signs up to play?

75% say they prefer an umpire to a computer making balls and strikes call; one third think undetected drugs are driving all those homers

South Orange, NJ, October 26, 2017 — In a week in which a record number of home runs were hit in a single World Series game…..and post-season coverage provides continuous use of the strike zone boundaries for each pitch….fans are clear that they want umpires – and not a computer – calling balls and strikes…..but also suspicious of the use of performing enhancing drugs driving all those homers.

These were among the findings in the latest Seton Hall Sports Poll, conducted this week across the nation among 715 adults, on landlines and cellphones. The baseball data is based on the 62% of respondents that follow baseball and has a margin of error of 4.8%.

Perhaps driven by the umpire calls when the strike zone box is up, (or perhaps just by being traditionalists), a strong 75% preferred that the umpire make the ball-strike calls, with only 11% opting for computer calls. (14% had no opinion).

“Either fans are leaning toward the more traditional way of doing things or they simply don’t want to give up their God-given right to bash the umpire for missing ball and strike calls,” said Rick Gentle, director of the poll, which is sponsored by The Sharkey Institute as part of the university’s Stillman School of Business.”

On the matter of home runs, of which a record number were hit this season in the Major Leagues, respondents were asked to say “yes” or “no” to a variety of factors.

Reasons for Record Number of Home Runs:

Yes No

A more lively ball 29 40

Undetected use of PEDs 31 46

Improved batting techniques 62 20

Hitters more focused on HRs 55 24

Bad pitching 28 48

“While performance enhancing drugs are not among the top reasons, the fact that nearly 1 in 3 fans think it’s still part of the game should be alarming to the Commissioner’s Office,” noted Gentile.

“The latter would be a major rule change which would need approval of the player’s union as well as the Commissioner’s Office, and clearly among fans, there is no desire to go there,” said Gentile.

The Poll also asked, “how often would you say you watch an entire live post-season baseball game,” with 45% saying “occasionally,” 26% saying “often” and 17% saying “never”.

The Official Seton Hall Sports Poll podcast discussing this topic with Seth Everett and Rick Gentile will be posted later today.

ABOUT SETON HALL UNIVERSITY

One of the country’s leading Catholic universities, Seton Hall University has been a catalyst for leadership — developing students in mind, heart and spirit — since 1856. Home to nearly 10,000 undergraduate and graduate students and offering more than 90 academic programs, Seton Hall’s academic excellence has been singled out for distinction by The Princeton Review, U.S.News & World Report and Bloomberg Businessweek.

Seton Hall, which embraces students of all religions, prepares its graduates to be exemplary servant leaders and global citizens. Its attractive main campus is located in suburban South Orange, New Jersey, and is only 14 miles by train, bus or car from New York City, offering a wealth of employment, internship, cultural and entertainment opportunities. The university’s nationally recognized School of Law is prominently located in downtown Newark.

For more information, visit www.shu.edu.

About the poll:

This poll was conducted by telephone October 23-25 among 715 adults in the United States. The Seton Hall Sports Poll is conducted by the Sharkey Institute.

Phone numbers were dialed from samples of both standard landline and cell phones. The error due to sampling for results based on the entire sample could be plus or minus 3.8 percentage points. The error for subgroups may be higher. This poll release conforms to the Standards of Disclosure of the National Council on Public Polls.

Seton Hall Law Professor and Associate Dean, Charles Sullivan, was featured in an ESPN article regarding the legal ramifications, if any, for NFL teams that bench players for participating in protests during the national anthem before games.

Jerry Jones, the owner of the Dallas Cowboys, has indicated that he would “bench” players that do not stand for the national anthem.

Sullivan, a noted expert in employment law who has published three of the leading legal casebooks on the subject, appeared in an article entitled, “Is it legal for Jerry Jones to bench players who do not stand?”

Debate surrounding the protests has been heated and, according to our most recent Sports Poll, has resulted in a decline in NFL viewership.

As this graphic from Fox News shows, of those who are watching fewer games, more than half attribute the decrease to the anthem protests (47% in disapproval, 6% as a show of solidarity with the players).

Although football is a game, the NFL is a multi-billion dollar business, the players employees and the owners employers.

Given that the NFL relies heavily upon its TV contracts and those contracts are based upon the advertising revenue that mass viewership brings, it is not surprising that a decline in viewership based primarily upon one issue has that issue becoming a paramount concern for NFL owners.

As the ESPN article notes, beyond the presidential twitterstorm, social media campaigns and various boycotts both for and against the anthem protests:

According to a half-dozen experts we contacted, workplace employment law may have the last word. While the experts are divided on who would win such a legal battle, our sample ruled narrowly in favor of the owners.

Charles Sullivan, professor of law, Seton Hall University: “Where I think the players have a problem is there’s not really an adverse employment action if they are simply benched. They are still being paid, and I don’t think they necessarily have the right to play in games.”Advantage: Owners

South Orange, NJ, October 5, 2017 — A poll conducted by the Seton Hall Sports Poll has found that by an overall margin of 49% to 31, Americans believe that baseball stadiums should extend netting down the foul lines to protect fans from foul balls and wayward bats. The remaining 20% either did not know or had no opinion.

When broken down according to age, however, a different view appears: 18-29 year old respondents reached the opposite conclusion, opposing the extension of protective netting by a 39% to 33% margin.

In fact, the number in favor of protective netting along foul lines in baseball stadiums rose in correlation to age group.

“Clearly the concerns about safety grow as our respondents get older. It’s rare that such a direct correlation occurs from age group to age group,” noted Rick Gentile, Director of the Seton Hall Sports Poll, which is sponsored by the Sharkey Institute as part of the University’s Stillman School of Business.

The New York Yankees recently announced that they would “significantly expand” the protective netting at Yankee Stadium after a toddler was seriously injured when struck in the face by a foul ball.

The poll of 845 adults (on both landline and cellphone) was conducted across the US on Monday-Tuesday-Wednesday last week. It has a margin of error of 3.4%.

ABOUT SETON HALL UNIVERSITY

One of the country’s leading Catholic universities, Seton Hall University has been a catalyst for leadership — developing students in mind, heart and spirit — since 1856. Home to nearly 10,000 undergraduate and graduate students and offering more than 90 academic programs, Seton Hall’s academic excellence has been singled out for distinction by The Princeton Review, U.S.News & World Report and Bloomberg Businessweek.

Seton Hall, which embraces students of all religions, prepares its graduates to be exemplary servant leaders and global citizens. Its attractive main campus is located in suburban South Orange, New Jersey, and is only 14 miles by train, bus or car from New York City, offering a wealth of employment, internship, cultural and entertainment opportunities. The university’s nationally recognized School of Law is prominently located in downtown Newark.

For more information, visit www.shu.edu.

About the poll:

This poll was conducted by telephone September 25-27 among 845 adults in the United States. The Seton Hall Sports Poll is conducted by the Sharkey Institute.

Phone numbers were dialed from samples of both standard landline and cell phones. The error due to sampling for results based on the entire sample could be plus or minus 3.8 percentage points. The error for subgroups may be higher. This poll release conforms to the Standards of Disclosure of the National Council on Public Polls.

South Orange, NJ, October 5, 2017 — Statisticians at the Seton Hall Sports Poll dug a little deeper this week, looking at figures reflecting the opinions of people who identified themselves as “fans of the NFL,” and separating their responses to the overall responses published last week.

The excision of those results showed that nearly a third – 30% – said they were watching fewer games this season (9% were watching more, 55% about the same), and that 52% of those watching less gave the reason as players protesting the national anthem.

As to whether NFL fans agreed or disagreed with the act of protest during the national anthem, 38% agreed with the gesture, (vs. 33% of “all” responders last week), and 45% disagreed with it (vs. 44% of “all responders.”).

On President Trump’s call for those who kneel to be fired, 28% of NFL fans agree with the President, (exactly even with the result from all Americans), while 55% agree with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell that the President’s statement were divisive, which was up from the 50% when all Americans were asked.

91% OF NFL FANS STILL PREFER GAMES ON TRADITIONAL TV

(This was not part of last week’s release).

The poll also revealed that despite talks of “cord-cutting” and efforts to introduce other devices for fans to follow games, 91% of NFL fans still watch the games on traditional television, with only 4% saying “on computer” and just 1% citing a mobile device.

“If this is the emerging technology for watching live football, it clearly has a long way to go,” noted Rick Gentile, Director of the Seton Hall Sports Poll, which is sponsored by The Sharkey Institute.

The poll of 845 adults (on both landline and cellphone) was conducted across the US on Monday-Tuesday-Wednesday of last week. It has a margin of error of 3.4%. 411 of the respondents made up the “fans of the NFL” sample.

ONLY 18% OF AMERICANS SAY THAT ESPN’S JEMELE HILL SHOULD BE FIRED FOR ‘WHITE SUPREMACIST’ TWEET

(This was not part of last week’s release).

Only 18% of Americans believe that ESPN broadcaster Jemele Hill should be fired because of statements she posted on her personal Twitter account, which a White House spokesperson called a “fireable offense.” She had called President Trump a “white supremacist.”

38% believed that reporters working for media companies should be prohibited from using personal social media accounts to make controversial social or political statements.

68% said Ms. Hill should not be fired; 18% said she should. There was a sharp divide among African-American responders and whites; 84% of African-Americans felt she should not be fired and only 5% said she should. Among whites, it was 65% for not firing her, and 22% for firing her.

“Firing her was obviously considered too severe,” noted Gentile. “But her Tweet seems to have opened a dialogue about limits. That could be a healthy thing.”

A podcast by Seth Everett interviewing Rick Gentile, can be found athttps://itunes.apple.com/mt/podcast/seton-hall-sports-poll/id1053266467

ABOUT SETON HALL UNIVERSITY

One of the country’s leading Catholic universities, Seton Hall University has been a catalyst for leadership — developing students in mind, heart and spirit — since 1856. Home to nearly 10,000 undergraduate and graduate students and offering more than 90 academic programs, Seton Hall’s academic excellence has been singled out for distinction by The Princeton Review, U.S.News & World Report and Bloomberg Businessweek.

Seton Hall, which embraces students of all religions, prepares its graduates to be exemplary servant leaders and global citizens. Its attractive main campus is located in suburban South Orange, New Jersey, and is only 14 miles by train, bus or car from New York City, offering a wealth of employment, internship, cultural and entertainment opportunities. The university’s nationally recognized School of Law is prominently located in downtown Newark.

For more information, visit www.shu.edu.

About the poll:

This poll was conducted by telephone September 25-27 among 845 adults in the United States. The Seton Hall Sports Poll is conducted by the Sharkey Institute.

Phone numbers were dialed from samples of both standard landline and cell phones. The error due to sampling for results based on the entire sample could be plus or minus 3.8 percentage points. The error for subgroups may be higher. This poll release conforms to the Standards of Disclosure of the National Council on Public Polls.

The Poll revisited last week’s results by separating out the responses from people who identified themselves as NFL fans. The second column shows those results (the first column repeats the results by all respondents:

This season, do you find yourself watching more NFL games, fewer NFL games or about the same amount of NFL games?

More 5% 9

Fewer 29 30

About the same 50 55

Don’t know 16 6

(IF “FEWER” ASK QUESTION 2. IF “MORE”, “SAME”, OR “DON’T KNOW” SKIP

QUESTION 2)

Why have you watched fewer NFL games? Please pick your main reason from the following:The games aren’t as good as in past years 3
Too many games on TV 2 3

Too many commercial interruptions 4 4

The players’ protests during the national anthem 47 52

Boycotting in support of player protests 6 6

Bothered by danger of head injuries 1 1

Other 21 23

Don’t know 15 7

3.Do you generally watch live NFL games on TV, a mobile device or on a computer?

TV 70 91

Mobile device 1 1

Computer 3 4

Don’t watch at all 19 4

Don’t know 7 1

4. Colin Kaepernick waged a protest last season by kneeling during the national anthem. This year other players have continued the protest by not standing during the playing of the anthem. Do you approve, disapprove or have no opinion about the gesture?

Approve 32 38

Disapprove 44 45

No opinion 22 17

Don’t know 3 1

5. Which of the following statements do you agree with most:

I don’t support the players’ right to protest and believe they should be ordered to stand for the anthem or be dropped from the team if they refuse 16 15

I support the players’ right to protest but believe they should stand for the anthem, finding a different way to express their political opinions 49 49

I support the players’ right to protest and I think not standing for the anthem is an acceptable way to protest 35 36

6. Colin Kaepernick has not been signed by an NFL team and some say it is because of last year’s protest. Do you think he would be signed today if he had not protested or has he not been signed because he’s not a good enough player?

Protested 47 57

Not good enough 19 23

Don’t know/No opinion 34 20

7. President Trump has called on NFL owners to fire any player who refuses to stand for the national anthem. Commissioner Roger Goodell and several NFL owners have responded that the president’s comments were divisive. Whom do you most agree with?

84% Support NFL Players’ Right to Protest, But Vary on How to Carry that Out;
Only 16% Say Protesters Should Be Dropped from Team. Wide Discrepancy Between African-Americans and Whites

South Orange, NJ, September 28, 2017 — A poll conducted this week by the Seton Hall Sports Poll has found that 84% of American support the NFL players’ right to protest, with only 16% saying the players should be ordered to stand for the anthem or be dropped from the team if they refuse.

Of the 84% supporting the players’ right to protest, 49% felt they should find a different way to express their political opinions, and 35% felt that not standing for the anthem is an acceptable way to protest. There was a wide racial gap in those saying it was an acceptable form of protest.with 70% of African-American choosing that option only 28% of whites doing so.

The poll of 845 adults (on both landline and cellphone) was conducted across the US on Monday-Tuesday-Wednesday of this week. It has a margin of error of 3.4%.

An identical question was asked a year ago about just Kaepernick. At that time, 80% supported the right to protest and 20% believed they should be dropped from the team if they refused an order to stand.

Asked specifically this week about players not standing during the playing of the anthem, 44% of all respondents disapproved, 32% approved, and 25% had no opinion or did not know. The responses to the same question about just Kaepernick a year ago were 47% disapproval and 27% approval.

“These attitudes are remarkably stable given all that has happened in this past year and the recent spike in attention being paid to the subject. , noted Rick Gentile, Director of the Seton Hall Sports Poll, which is sponsored by the Sharkey Institute.

Respondents were asked whether they agreed more with President Trump who called on NFL owners to fire any players who refuse to stand or with Commissioner Roger Goodell and several NFL owners who called the president’s comments divisive

Trump received the support of 28% and Goodell received 50%. Among African-Americans Trump received 6% vs 78% for Goodell, and whites were 32% to 47%.

Asked about Kaepernick’s lack of a contract by an NFL team, 47% felt it was because of his protests and 19% because he wasn’t good enough. 81% of African-Americans felt it was because of his protest with only 7% saying it was because he was not good enough, while among whites the ratio was 41% (protest) and 22% (ability).

“This is an emotional issue for many people with obvious differences between whites and African-Americans,” said Gentile. “The overall support for the players’ right to protest – in some form – is heartening especially considering some of the divisive rhetoric we’ve heard revolving around this issue.”

The protests can be very damaging to the NFL’s popularity. 29% of respondents said they were watching fewer games this season, and of that group, 47% cited the player protests during the national anthem.

In an identical question asked in November 2016, 25% said they were watching fewer games because of the anthem protest.

ABOUT SETON HALL UNIVERSITY

One of the country’s leading Catholic universities, Seton Hall University has been a catalyst for leadership — developing students in mind, heart and spirit — since 1856. Home to nearly 10,000 undergraduate and graduate students and offering more than 90 academic programs, Seton Hall’s academic excellence has been singled out for distinction by The Princeton Review, U.S.News & World Report and Bloomberg Businessweek.

Seton Hall, which embraces students of all religions, prepares its graduates to be exemplary servant leaders and global citizens. Its attractive main campus is located in suburban South Orange, New Jersey, and is only 14 miles by train, bus or car from New York City, offering a wealth of employment, internship, cultural and entertainment opportunities. The university’s nationally recognized School of Law is prominently located in downtown Newark.

For more information, visit www.shu.edu.

About the poll:

This poll was conducted by telephone September 25-27 among 845 adults in the United States. The Seton Hall Sports Poll is conducted by the Sharkey Institute.

Phone numbers were dialed from samples of both standard landline and cell phones. The error due to sampling for results based on the entire sample could be plus or minus 3.8 percentage points. The error for subgroups may be higher. This poll release conforms to the Standards of Disclosure of the National Council on Public Polls.

This season, do you find yourself watching more NFL games, fewer NFL games or about the same amount of NFL games?

More 5%

Fewer 29

About the same 50

Don’t know 16

(IF “FEWER” ASK QUESTION 2. IF “MORE”, “SAME”, OR “DON’T KNOW” SKIP

QUESTION 2

Why have you watched fewer NFL games? Please pick your main reason from the following:

The games aren’t as good as in past years 3

Too many games on TV 2

Too many commercial interruptions 4

The players’ protests during the national anthem 47

Boycotting in support of player protests 6

Bothered by danger of head injuries 1

Other 21

Don’t know 15

Colin Kaepernick waged a protest last season by kneeling during the national anthem. This year other players have continued the protest by not standing during the playing of the anthem. Do you approve, disapprove or have no opinion about the gesture?

Approve 32

Disapprove 44

No opinion 22

Don’t know 3

Which of the following statements do you agree with most:

I don’t support the players’ right to protest and believe they should be ordered to stand for the anthem or be dropped from the team if they refuse 16

I support the players’ right to protest but believe they should stand for the anthem, finding a different way to express their political opinions 49

I support the players’ right to protest and I think not standing for the anthem is an acceptable way to protest 35

Colin Kaepernick has not been signed by an NFL team and some say it is because of last year’s protest. Do you think he would be signed today if he had not protested or has he not been signed because he’s not a good enough player?

Protested 47

Not good enough 19

Don’t know/No opinion 34

President Trump has called on NFL owners to fire any player who refuses to stand for the national anthem. Commissioner Roger Goodell and several NFL owners have responded that the president’s comments were divisive. Whom do you most agree with?

President Trump 28

Commissioner Goodell and the owners 50

Neither (DON’T READ) 7

Both (DON’T READ) 2

Don’t know/No opinion 13

How closely would you say you follow sports, very closely, closely, not closely or not at all?

Two Years of College vs One?
41% Favor Raising the Age Limit for NBA Eligibility;

Number who Say ‘Scholarship is Sufficient’ for Student-Athlete Compensation Trending Down

South Orange, NJ, March 23, 2017 — A clear majority of the American public believes that television revenue generated by the NCAA Basketball Tournament has turned collegiate athletics into too big a business, detracting from a university’s academic goals.

Fifty-three percent (53%) responded “yes” to that question in a Seton Hall Sports Poll conducted this week among 739 adults across the country. Thirty-five percent (35%) responded “no.” The poll has a +/- 3.7% margin of error and is conducted with both landline and cellphone users. The poll is sponsored by The Sharkey Institute.

When asked, however, how much importance universities place on graduating basketball players – 58% said they believed the schools placed either a high or medium importance on graduation. This is about even (59%) from a similar Seton Hall Sports Poll taken five years ago.

Both the NBA Commissioner and the president of the NCAA have suggested raising the minimum age for eligibility in the NBA draft from 19 to 20. That essentially raises the commitment to college basketball from one year to two years. 19% thought it should remain at one year, but 41% favored two years. 26% said there should be no limits. When asked this question two years ago, 12% favored one year, and 56% two years with 23% saying no limits.

63% felt requiring an extra year of eligibility in college was a good thing, even if it meant losing a year of professional salary. 26% said no to the extra year requirement. When asked this question in 2014, 73% favored staying in school, a significant drop.

NUMBER WHO SAY ‘SCHOLARSHIP IS SUFFICIENT’ IS TRENDING DOWN

“Yes” Responses, 2012, 2013, 2017

45% of the nation felt student/athletes should not share in TV revenue or receive a salary for participating, with 40% saying they are exploited by not sharing in the revenue and should receive compensation. Men are more likely than women to believe that the students are being exploited, and people 18-44 are much more likely to believe that the students are exploited than those over 45.

60% felt providing a scholarship was sufficient for athletes, whereas 69% (2012) and 71% (2013) in previous Seton Hall Sports Polls felt providing a scholarship was sufficient. 35% believe the athletes should receive some form of salary or salary/scholarship.

“The public seems to be more sympathetic to increasing fees to student/athletes above scholarship,” noted Rick Gentile, Director of the Poll. “This is in sync with major conferences beginning to offer additional ‘cost of attendance’ aid to student/athletes.”

On the matter of whether people fill out a set of brackets or participate in a poll over this year’s tournament, 13% said they did. 35% of the nation says they follow the tournament either closely or very closely.

Interest in the tournament vs. the NBA playoffs is virtually even, with 30% saying they are more interested in the NCAA and 29% the NBA. But when asked the same question in 2014, 39% said the NCAA and only 22% said the NBA. In 2011, 44% said NCAA and 29% said NBA.

46% of respondents felt that most (or all) colleges break the rules in recruiting athletes, the same number as when the question was asked in 2013.

Asked who makes better role models and given a choice of five options, 52% said teachers, 17% said coaches, 9% said college athletes, 9% said pro athletes, and 3% said politicians.

One of the country’s leading Catholic universities, Seton Hall University has been a catalyst for leadership — developing students in mind, heart and spirit — since 1856. Home to nearly 10,000 undergraduate and graduate students and offering more than 90 academic programs, Seton Hall’s academic excellence has been singled out for distinction by The Princeton Review, U.S.News & World Report and Bloomberg Businessweek.

Seton Hall, which embraces students of all religions, prepares its graduates to be exemplary servant leaders and global citizens. Its attractive main campus is located in suburban South Orange, New Jersey, and is only 14 miles by train, bus or car from New York City, offering a wealth of employment, internship, cultural and entertainment opportunities. The university’s nationally recognized School of Law is prominently located in downtown Newark.

For more information, visit www.shu.edu.

About the poll:

This poll was conducted by telephone March 20-22 among 739 adults in the United States. The Seton Hall Sports Poll is conducted by the Sharkey Institute.

Phone numbers were dialed from samples of both standard landline and cell phones. The error due to sampling for results based on the entire sample could be plus or minus 3.4 percentage points. The error for subgroups may be higher. This poll release conforms to the Standards of Disclosure of the National Council on Public Polls.

The commissioner of the NBA and the president of the NCAA have suggested raising the minimum age for eligibility to the NBA draft from 19 to 20. In effect this means players would have to attend two years of college instead of one year as it is now. Do you think the rule should be left as it is now at one year, change to two years, or have no limits for when a player can be drafted?

One year 19%

Two years 41

No limits 25

Don’t know 15

Do you think requiring another year of school for student/athletes is a good thing for them even though they could lose a year of pro salary?

Yes 63

No 26

Don’t know 11

Do you think student/athletes who participate in revenue generating sports should receive a salary from their school, a salary plus scholarship or do you think a scholarship is enough compensation?

Salary 6

Salary plus scholarship 29

Scholarship 60

Don’t know 5

Which of the following statements do you most agree with:

Student/athletes are given a great opportunity to be able to participate in the NCAA Tournament and should not share in TV revenue or receive a salary for their participation. 45

Student/athletes are exploited by the NCAA Tournament because they don’t share in the TV revenue and should receive a salary for their participation 40

Neither (DON’T READ) 3

Both (DON’T READ) 2

Don’t know 11

How closely have you been following this year’s NCAA Tournament, very closely, closely,

not closely or not at all?

Very closely 13

Closely 21

Not closely 30

Not at all 36

Did you fill out a set of brackets or participate in a pool involving money for this year’s tournament?

Yes 13

No 83

Refuse to answer 4

Do you think the selection process to participate in the tournament is fair to all division one schools or do you think schools from the major conferences have an advantage?

Fair 24

Major conf. have advantg. 46

Don’t know 30

Which event are you more interested in, the NCAA Tournament or the NBA playoffs or are you not interested in either?

NCAA Tournament 30

NBA Playoffs 29

Neither 34

Don’t know 7

Do you think the television revenue generated by the NCAA Tournament has turned collegiate athletics into too big a business that detracts from a University’s academic goals?

Yes 53

No 35

Don’t know 12

How much importance do you think universities place on graduating basketball players, a high importance, medium importance, little importance or no importance?

High importance 25

Medium importance 33

Little importance 21

No importance 8

Don’t know 13

How many college basketball programs do you think break the rules in recruiting athletes, all of them, most of them, very few of them or none of them?

All 9

Most 37

Very few 34

None 4

Don’t know 16

Do you think it hurts the game when colleges recruit athletes they know won’t stay for the full duration of their eligibility?

Yes 48

No 40

Don’t know 13

Who do you think make better role models, college athletes, pro athletes, coaches, teachers or politicians?

South Orange, NJ, February 9, 2017 – An era of cord-cutting may loom in the future, but for now, traditional television viewing of the Super Bowl has a firm grasp on the American public. According to a Seton Hall Sports Poll conducted this week in the days after the game, a whopping 98% watched on TV, with only a combined 1% – barely – watching on phone, tablet or computer.

The poll was conducted February 6-8 among 661 adults across the country on both landlines and cellphones, with a margin of error of 3.9 %.

“It’s the biggest event of the year in America, and people want to watch it on their biggest and most reliable device,” noted Rick Gentile, director of the poll, which is sponsored by The Sharkey Institute.

Meanwhile, asked if Tom Brady is the greatest quarterback in NFL history, 63% of those who identified as sports fans agreed with only 19% disagreeing. Of those who said they were NFL fans, 51% agreed, and 21% disagreed. Among the general population, 39% agreed, with only 21% disagreeing.

“These are remarkably high numbers, given the controversies surrounding him – a large dislike for the New England Patriots, his suspension over ‘deflategate’ and his support of a controversial President,” said Gentile.

In the excitement following the first overtime in Super Bowl history and the fifth Super Bowl win for the Patriots, 44% found the game the most compelling of recent championships, with Game 7 of the World Series registering 26% and the college football championship (Alabama-Clemson) at 11%.

“For the World Series to be named by one out of four Americans, three months after it ended and in the days after a thrilling Super Bowl is great news for baseball,” added Gentile.

Asked if they saw any commercials during the game that made them want to purchase the advertised product, 83% said no, and 12% yes.

“People generally don’t acknowledge that commercials influence their buying,” noted Rick Gentile, director of the poll, which is sponsored by The Sharkey Institute. “Of course, their purchasing habits show the opposite – advertising drives sales. And 12% of the viewing public is a very large number. Advertisers should be pleased.”

7% said they enjoyed the commercials the most, but 13% named the halftime show and 72% said “the game” when asked what they enjoyed the most.

A commercial for GNC, the vitamin chain which sells substances banned by the NFL, was not shown. Asked whether GNC should have been allowed to advertise in the game, given that the banned products were not mentioned, 50% said yes they should have been allowed, with 23% saying no.

10% acknowledged wagering on the game (either through a bet, a pool or a fantasy league) and 84% said they had no wager on the game. 15% said they would have bet if wagering was legal.

One of the country’s leading Catholic universities, Seton Hall University has been a catalyst for leadership — developing students in mind, heart and spirit — since 1856. Home to nearly 10,000 undergraduate and graduate students and offering more than 90 academic programs, Seton Hall’s academic excellence has been singled out for distinction by The Princeton Review, U.S.News & World Report and Bloomberg Businessweek.

Seton Hall, which embraces students of all religions, prepares its graduates to be exemplary servant leaders and global citizens. Its attractive main campus is located in suburban South Orange, New Jersey, and is only 14 miles by train, bus or car from New York City, offering a wealth of employment, internship, cultural and entertainment opportunities. The university’s nationally recognized School of Law is prominently located in downtown Newark.

For more information, visit www.shu.edu.

About the poll:

This poll was conducted by telephone February 6-8 among 661 adults in the United States. The Seton Hall Sports Poll is conducted by the Sharkey Institute.

Phone numbers were dialed from samples of both standard landline and cell phones. The error due to sampling for results based on the entire sample could be plus or minus 3.4 percentage points. The error for subgroups may be higher. This poll release conforms to the Standards of Disclosure of the National Council on Public Polls.

What was the primary device you used to watch the game, a TV, phone, tablet or computer?

TV 98

Phone 0

Tablet 0

Computer 1

Other 1

Which did you enjoy more, the game, the halftime or the commercials?

Game 72

Halftime 13

Commercials 7

Don’t Know 7

Did you see any commercials during the broadcast that made you want to purchase the product advertised?

Yes 12

No 83

Don’t know 5

Did you place a bet on the outcome of the game, participate in a pool, engage in fantasy play or not wager any money on the game?

Bet 5

Pool 4

Fantasy 1

No Wager 84

Don’t Know/No Ans. 7

If sports gambling was legal in your state would you have placed a bet on the game?

Yes 15

No 79

Don’t know 6

Tom Brady is being called the greatest quarterback in NFL history after winning his 5th Super

Bowl. Do you agree, disagree or are you not sure?

Agree 39

Disagree 21

Not Sure 35

Don’t Know 5

GNC, a maker of dietary supplements, was forced by the NFL to withdraw its commercial from the Super Bowl because it makes some products that NFL players are banned from taking. No mention of the banned products occurred in the commercial. Do you think GNC should have been allowed to advertise in the game given that the banned products were not mentioned?

Yes 50

No 23

Don’t know 27

Which event did you think was more compelling, the Super Bowl, the college football championship or the 7th game of the World Series?

Super Bowl 44

College championships 11

World Series 26

Don’t Know 19

How closely would you say you follow sports, very closely, closely, not closely or not at all?

Click below to hear or download a discussion on the findings of the most recent Seton Hall Sports Poll release– featuring veteran sportscaster and analyst Seth Everett with Rick Gentile, Director of the Sports Poll and 10 time Emmy Award winner for his work as Executive Producer and Senior Vice President of CBS Sports.

National Anthem Protest is a ‘Turn Off’ for NFL Fans, Cited as the Leading Cause for Viewership Falloff

*****

Nearly 20% Occasionally Watch Games on Mobile Devices or Computers

South Orange, NJ, November 21, 2016 – In a year of declining television viewership for NFL games, 23% of Americans say they are watching fewer games, and a quarter of them attribute it to the protests during the playing of the national anthem.

These were the findings of the latest Seton Hall Sports Poll, conducted last week among 913 randomly called adult Americans, on both landlines and cellphones. The poll has a margin of error of +/- 3.3%.

Of those watching fewer games, the fall off was attributed to:

Protests during the national anthem 25%

Too many commercial interruptions 10%

Match-ups aren’t as good 10%

Too many games on TV 8%

More interest in the election 3%

Other (or don’t know) 44%

“The anthem protest still seems to resonate most loudly but there clearly are a number of issues negatively affecting viewership,” said Rick Gentile, director of the poll, which is sponsored by The Sharkey Institute. “We saw last week that the best remedy is great match ups and great games”

As for San Francisco quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who began the protests, 50% disapprove of his not choosing to vote in this month’s election, with only 14% approving. Among African-Americans, only 30% voiced disapproval, compared to 58% of white respondents.

Nearly 20% Occasionally Watch Games on Mobile Devices or Computers

The poll also tracked viewing habits of fans – of all sports – and found that 22% watched less live sports on TV than in the past; 13% are watching more, and 60% about the same.

Specifically, 17% said they sometimes watched on a computer; 19% said they sometimes watched on a mobile device (like a phone or a tablet), and 83% said they watched on a traditional television set.

As an area of growth, viewing on a mobile device has the greatest increase. Of those watching on a mobile device, 28% are watching more, 15% less, and 55% about the same. Of those watching on a computer, 25% are watching more, 23% less, and 50% about the same. Of those responding “yes” to television sets, 16% are watching more, 20% less, and 63% about the same.

“Television remains by far the biggest aggregator for sports fans,” said Gentile. “But nearly 20% of fans do some of their viewing in other ways. We will regularly be tracking these trends.”

ABOUT SETON HALL UNIVERSITY

One of the country’s leading Catholic universities, Seton Hall University has been a catalyst for leadership — developing students in mind, heart and spirit — since 1856. Home to nearly 10,000 undergraduate and graduate students and offering more than 90 academic programs, Seton Hall’s academic excellence has been singled out for distinction by The Princeton Review, U.S.News & World Report and Bloomberg Businessweek.

Seton Hall, which embraces students of all religions, prepares its graduates to be exemplary servant leaders and global citizens. Its attractive main campus is located in suburban South Orange, New Jersey, and is only 14 miles by train, bus or car from New York City, offering a wealth of employment, internship, cultural and entertainment opportunities. The university’s nationally recognized School of Law is prominently located in downtown Newark.

For more information, visit www.shu.edu.

About the poll:

This poll was conducted by telephone November 14-16 among 913 adults in the United States. The Seton Hall Sports Poll is conducted by the Sharkey Institute.

Phone numbers were dialed from samples of both standard landline and cell phones. The error due to sampling for results based on the entire sample could be plus or minus 3.4 percentage points. The error for subgroups may be higher. This poll release conforms to the Standards of Disclosure of the National Council on Public Polls.

Do you find yourself watching more NFL games, fewer NFL games or about the same amount of NFL games?

More 10

Fewer 23

About the same 58

Don’t know 9

(IF “FEWER” ASK THE FOLLOWING QUESTION. IF MORE OR SAME SKIP NEXT

QUESTION)

Why have you watched fewer NFL games? Please pick your main reason from the following.

Match-ups aren’t as good 10

Too many games on TV 8

More interested in the election 3

Too many commercial interruptions 10

The protests during the national anthem 25

Other 37

Don’t know 7

Colin Kaepernick, the NFL player who sparked the national anthem protests, refused to vote in the recent Presidential Election, also in protest. Do you approve, disapprove or have no opinion about this decision?

Approve 14

Disapprove 50

No Opinion 36

Do you watch more live sports on TV than in the past, less live sports on TV or about the same amount as in the past?

More 13

Less 22

About the same 60

Don’t know 5

How do you watch live sports? On television?

Yes 83

No 17

On a mobile device (tablet or phone)?

Yes 19

No 81

On a computer?

Yes 17

No 83

How closely would you say you follow sports, very closely, closely, not closely or not at all?

Fans Who Say they Watch Less Football Cite National Anthem Protest as Principal Reason

South Orange, NJ, November 17, 2016 — This week’s Seton Hall Sports Poll, asked Americans how they felt about the concussion/head injury issue in football.

People were asked if they most agreed with President Obama’s feelings about having to think twice about letting a son play football, or President-elect Trump’s statement that head-on-tackles in the NFL are incredible to watch and the league has gone too soft on the issue of head injuries. 59% agreed with the Obama position while only 23% agreed with the Trump statement.

By gender, women agreed with Obama over Trump by 66%-17%, and men agreed with Obama by 52%-29%.

“That is a decisive margin, and belies the embrace the nation’s voters show for Trump’s generally tough stances,” noted Rick Gentile, director of the Poll, which is sponsored by The Sharkey Institute.

The results came from the poll conducted this week among 913 landline and cellphone adult users across the US. The poll has a margin of error of +/- 3.3%.

Meanwhile, the poll asked respondents if they were watching less football, and if so, asked for reasons. 25% cited the protests during the national anthem, 10% said the match-ups aren’t as good, 10% cited too many commercial interruptions, 8% said “too many games on TV,” and 3% said “more interested in election.” 44% indicated either another choice (unnamed) or no opinion.

As for Colin Kaepernick, the San Francisco quarterback who triggered the national anthem protests, 50% expressed disapproval over his deciding not to vote in the presidential election, with only 14% showing approval. Only 30% of African-Americans disapproved compared to 58% of white respondents.

By a 2-1 margin (61% to 30%), respondents citied the Trump election victory as more surprising than the Chicago Cubs world championship. The Cubs, of course, had not won in 108 years – but no American president had ever gained the presidency from a business and non-political (or wartime) background.

The poll also asked who would be a better role model, 29% said college athletes, 21% said pro athletes, and 9% said politicians. It is worth noting that 42% said “none” or “don’t know” without those selections being offered by pollsters.

GOOD NEWS FOR MLB – SERIES MADE ONE IN FIVE AMERICANS

INTERESTED IN FOLLOWING BASEBALL MORE AVIDLY

There was good news for Major League Baseball amongst the findings – 19% the country said that the Cubs victory made them more interested in following baseball.

“For any sports league to have a single event that might turn that many people into more avid fans is a remarkable achievement,” said Gentile. “At first glance, one might say, ‘well, it’s only 19%’, but in raw numbers – a fifth of the population is a tremendous number for MLB.”

Rick Gentile will be interviewed by Seth Everett for a podcast on the poll’s findings.

ABOUT SETON HALL UNIVERSITY

One of the country’s leading Catholic universities, Seton Hall University has been a catalyst for leadership — developing students in mind, heart and spirit — since 1856. Home to nearly 10,000 undergraduate and graduate students and offering more than 90 academic programs, Seton Hall’s academic excellence has been singled out for distinction by The Princeton Review, U.S.News & World Report and Bloomberg Businessweek.

Seton Hall, which embraces students of all religions, prepares its graduates to be exemplary servant leaders and global citizens. Its attractive main campus is located in suburban South Orange, New Jersey, and is only 14 miles by train, bus or car from New York City, offering a wealth of employment, internship, cultural and entertainment opportunities. The university’s nationally recognized School of Law is prominently located in downtown Newark.

For more information, visit www.shu.edu.

About the poll:

This poll was conducted by telephone November 14-16 among 913 adults in the United States. The Seton Hall Sports Poll is conducted by the Sharkey Institute.

Phone numbers were dialed from samples of both standard landline and cell phones. The error due to sampling for results based on the entire sample could be plus or minus 3.4 percentage points. The error for subgroups may be higher. This poll release conforms to the Standards of Disclosure of the National Council on Public Polls.

Whom do you think make better role models, politicians, professional athletes or collegiate athletes?

Politicians 9%

Pro athletes 21

College athletes 29

None 35

Don’t know 7

Which event would you say surprised you the most, the Chicago Cubs winning the World Series or Donald Trump winning the presidential election?

Cubs 30

Trump 61

Neither 5

Don’t know 3

Has the Cubs’ victory in the World Series made you more interested in following baseball?

Yes 19

No 77

Don’t know 4

President Obama has said if he had a son he would have to think twice about letting him play football because of potential head injuries. President-elect Trump has said head-on tackles in the NFL are incredible to watch and the league has gone too soft on the issue of head injuries. Which position do you most agree with?

Obama 59

Trump 23

Neither 10

Don’t know 8

Why have you watched fewer NFL games? Please pick your main reason from the following.

Match-ups aren’t as good 10

Too many games on TV 8

More interested in the election 3

Too many commercial interruptions 10

The protests during the national anthem 25

Other 37

Don’t know 7

Colin Kaepernick, the NFL player who sparked the national anthem protests, refused to vote in the recent Presidential Election, also in protest. Do you approve, disapprove or have no opinion about this decision?

Post navigation

The Seton Hall Sports Poll is sponsored by The Sharkey Institute, brought to you by The Stillman School of Business, and directed by Rick Gentile – a faculty member at Seton Hall University and 10 time Emmy Award winner for his work as Executive Producer and Senior Vice President of CBS Sports.